The first written mention of Nový Bydžov is from 1305, when it was a royal town of King Wenceslaus II.

In 1516 the property passed into the hands of the Pernštejn family, and during their rule the town prospered and gained new privileges.

[3] From 1751 to 1784, it was the royal seat of the newly created Nový Bydžov Region which included the Giant Mountains from Vrchlabí through Jilemnice, Nová Paka, Jičín, Hořice, Nový Bydžov, Chlumec nad Cidlinou and Poděbrady as far as Sadská.

[3] The largest employer with headquarters in the town is Datwyler Sealing Technologies CZ, a manufacturer of rubber products.

[3] The historic core has regular medieval floor plan with Masarykovo Square in the centre.

[4] The museum contains exhibits on prehistory of the region, rural ethnography, the Bydžov Ark (a winged plate altar), paintings by Petr Brandl, and sculptures of the naïve artist Václav Kudera-Křapík.

In the eastern part of the town is the Church of Saint James the Great, built in the late Baroque style in 1768–1775.